My experience with Bonsall High School

My first experience with BHS came years before our son matriculated. I was curious about the school and thought the best way to learn more was to insert myself.

I found the phone number on the website and offered to voluntarily co-produce an educational program that would take advantage of the school’s project-based learning style. It was early, during the first year of the school, which offered ninth grade and had no school principal.

I teamed up with the head of communications at gaming company, Razer. Razer had announced plans to introduce a new wearable device for gamers. We tasked the students with creating a publicity campaign for the new product, thinking through the product launch, researching and analyzing target audiences and communicating the unique attributes of a product that could otherwise be lost in a market of FitBits.

The teachers and students worked over a period of weeks. At the end, two executives from Razer and I came to judge the pitches. We required the students to pitch their campaign ideas the way they would in an advertising or public relations firm. The Razer executives were blown away, and one told me it was one of the more meaningful experiences in his career. He couldn’t believe how creative, thoughtful, thorough and insightful the students had been, and Razer ended up incorporating some of the ideas into the actual campaign, not to mention showering students with more than a thousand dollars’ worth of products.

This project-based learning style was one of the reasons we chose BHS last year for our son. It instills accountability, curiosity, creativity, diligence and dedication – the same types of qualities we hope to attract in employees at our firm and at the tech companies I consult daily.

Bonsall High is unique, from the teachers to the quality students that the school is producing. I for one want to do everything I can to support this school to continue to strengthen and grow in its ability to serve students in our community. This is why I’m voting “yes” on Measure EE.

Christine Benton